Freeware is software that is available for use at no monetary cost, but with one or more
restricted usage rights such as source code being withheld or redistribution prohibited.
Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might
be distributed at no cost for a business or commercial purpose in the aim to expand the
marketshare of a "premium" product.
According to the Free Software Foundation, "freeware" is a loosely defined category and
it has no clear accepted definition, although FSF says it must be distinguished from free
software.
Well known examples of closed-source freeware include Adobe Reader and Skype.
History The term freeware was coined by Andrew Fluegelman
when he wanted to sell in 1982 a communications program named PC-Talk that he had created
but for which he did not wish to use traditional methods of distribution because of their cost.
Fluegelman actually distributed PC-Talk via a process now referred to as shareware, and
current use of the term freeware does not necessarily match Fluegelman's original concept.
The term freeware was used often in the 1980s and 1990s for programs released only as executables,
with source code not available.
Criteria Software license
Software classified as freeware is licensed at no cost and is either fully functional
for an unlimited time; or has only basic functions enabled with a fully functional version available
commercially or as shareware.
In contrast to free software, the author usually restricts one or more rights of the user,
including the rights to use, copy, distribute, modify and make derivative works of the software
or extract the source code.
The software license may impose various additional restrictions on the type of use, e.g. only
for personal use, private use, individual use, non-profit use, non-commercial use, academic
use, educational use, use in charity or humanitarian organizations, non-military use, use by public
authorities or various other combinations of these type of restrictions.
For instance, the license may be "free for private, non-commercial use".
The software license may also impose various other restrictions, such as restricted use
over a network, restricted use on a server, restricted use in a combination with some
types of other software or with some hardware devices, prohibited distribution over the
Internet other than linking to author's website, restricted distribution without author's consent,
restricted number of copies, etc.
Relation to other forms of software licensing Freeware should not be confused with free
software or free and open source software.
The "free" in "freeware" refers to the price of the software, which is typically proprietary
and distributed without source code.
By contrast, the "free" in "free software" refers to freedoms granted users under the
software license, and such software may be sold at a price.
Shareware is similar to freeware.
It obliges the user to pay after some trial period or to gain additional functionality.
Typically, the user pays to remove restrictions on an existing installation of the software,
which is then modified in place.
Another form of shareware is free only for personal or educational use, e.g., IrfanView
and XnView are often labelled as "freeware".
Some freeware products are released alongside separate paid versions with more or better
features.
This approach is known as freemium, since the free version is intended as a promotion
for the premium version.
The two often share a code base, using a compiler flag to determine which is produced.
The BBEdit, BBEdit Lite and TextWrangler text editors for the Macintosh are examples of
this model.
The freeware version may be advertising supported, as was the case with the Eudora email client.
Non-freemium freeware has been criticized as "unsustainable" because it requires a single
entity to be responsible for updating and enhancing the product, which is then given
away for free.
Other freeware projects are simply released as one off programs with no promise or expectation
of further development.
These may include source code, as does free software so that users can make any required
or desired changes themselves, but this code remains subject to the license of the compiled
executable and does not constitute free software.
Method of distribution Freeware cannot economically rely on commercial
promotion.
Thus the internet is the primary resource for information on which freeware is available,
useful, and is not malware.
However, there are also many computer magazines or newspapers that provide ratings for freeware
and include compact discs or other storage media containing freeware.
See also Freely redistributable software
Free software is FRS with significantly more freedoms for the users than enough for freeware,
see Gratis versus Libre
List of commercial video games released as freeware
List of freeware List of freeware video games
References
External links Freeware at DMOZ
freesoft: directory published by the Free Software Foundation